Report on operations management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Report on operations management - Essay Example The first floor also has a big supermarket where people can shop for groceries as well as other types of goods. The second floor has a variety of shops ranging from restaurants, electronics shops sports shops etc. The third floor also features the same types of shops. It also contains a banking lobby and the other peculiar shops offering special products. There is an electronic massage parlor located in a public place (not enclosed). The shopping mall has two wings, with an expansive area between the wings. In this area are the elevators and lifts that can be used to reach the various floors. The users also have an option to use the stairs. Every floor has modern toilets. With regard to operations management, volume refers to the volume of productivity in relation to the amount of resources such as labor that are needed for the production. High volume refers to a high ratio of production versus resources needed. Supermarkets such as Tesco have high volume of operation throughput due to use of automation. In the Mall, there are various factors that have made it possible to increase the volume in its operations management. The factors have to look at the following; The shopping mall has to be able to allow for a smooth flow of people in and out of the shopping mall twenty 24 of the day. The guards at the entrance of the mall have to know how to enforce security to deal with any insecurity threat that may be coming into mall and at the same time be able to allow for the smooth flow of human traffic. The supermarket in the mall is not just a small grocery store but is a fully fledged supermarket selling all types of merchandise. The supermarket needs to bring in merchandise into the mall and at the same time, be able to release merchandise after customers have bought the merchandise. The submarket has its own loading area and therefore does not interfere with the traffic flowing into the mall. The

The Uses of DNA Technology in Forensic Science Essay Example for Free

The Uses of DNA Technology in Forensic Science Essay Timothy Banas has a masters degree in biophysics and was a high school science teacher in Chicago for seven years. He has since been working as a trading systems analyst, standardized test item developer, and freelance writer. As a freelancer, he has written articles on everything from personal finances to computer technology. Forensic science involves the use of scientific procedures to gather evidence related to matters of the law. The cells of all organisms contain deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), and the DNA of any one organism is unique. Forensic scientists have learned to collect and analyze DNA to help determine which organismshumans as well as other kindswere present at the scene of a crime or catastrophe. DNA can be used to accomplish a number of specific goals in forensic investigations. Identifying Individual Persons * Because each persons DNA sequence is unique, it can be matched to him like a fingerprint. According to the U.S. governments Oak Ridge National Laboratory, forensic scientists use DNA evidence to identify persons in criminal and paternity cases. DNA evidence does not always identify a suspect or a man as being the father of a child; sometimes the forensic evidence exonerates a suspect or determines that a man is not the father of a child. DNA evidence can also be used to identify victims of catastrophes, such as natural disasters or terrorist attacks. Identifying Species of Animals * There are laws governing the conservation and hunting of endangered species. If someone is suspected of illegally capturing and transporting an endangered species, forensic scientists can use DNA analysis to confirm or rule out whether the animal specimen in question in fact belongs to the protected species. A few hair or skin cells from the animal will suffice to yield accurate test results, so a suspected animal transporter or hunter does not need to be caught with the actual animal. Other Applications * DNA evidence can be used to identify a type of bacteria or parasite  that may have caused the death of a person. This information can be useful in cases of medical or parental negligence. The origins of expensive consumables like liquors and caviars can be verified using DNA analysis. Lastly, DNA samples can help medical professionals find good donor organ matches for people who require organ transplantations to survive. - Bioremediation The use of living organisms for the recovery/ cleaning up of a contaminated medium (soil, sediment, air, water). The process of bioremediation might involve introduction of new organisms to a site, or adjustment of environmental conditions to enhance degradation rates of indigenous fauna. Bioremediation can be applied to recover brownfields for development and for preparing contaminated industrial effluents prior to discharge into waterways. Bioremediation technologies are also applied to contaminated wastewater, ground or surface waters, soils, sediments and air where there has been either accidental or intentional release of pollutants or chemicals that pose a risk to human, animal or ecosystem health. Different approaches to bioremediation take advantage of the metabolic processes of different organisms for degradation, or sequestering and concentration, of different contaminants. For example, soil bioremediation might be performed under either aerobic or anaerobic conditions, and involve optimization of the metabolic pathways of bacteria or fungi for degradation of hydrocarbons, aromatic compounds or chlorinated pesticides. Phytoremediation is bioremediation using plants and is often proposed for bioaccumulation of metals, although there are many other different types of phytoremediation. Bioremediation using genetically engineered microorganisms (GEMs, or GMOs), carrying recombinant proteins, is still relatively uncommon due to regulatory constraints related to their release and control. Other methods of enzyme optimization that do not include gene cloning technqiues, might be  applied to indigenous microorganisms in order to enhance their pre-existing traits. Examples: Nutrients were added to the soil to enhance bacterial degradation of contaminants and increase the rate of bioremediation on the brownfield site.

Challenges for Advertising Agencies by New Delivery Systems

Challenges for Advertising Agencies by New Delivery Systems Maphosa  Mokone Title of essay or assignment: WHAT HAS BEEN THE CHALLENGE POSED FOR ADVERTISING AGENCIES BY NEW MEDIA AND DELIVERY SYSTEMS? This essay will firstly give a brief overview of the beginning of advertising agencies followed by a brief outline of the role of these advertising agencies. This will be followed by a discussion of about new media and its functions. The challenges that new media and delivery systems have posed for advertising agencies will be discussed and finally a conclusion. Overview of the beginning of advertising agencies will be discussed followed by a brief outline of the role of advertising agencies. Advertising agencies first became prominent in the late 1800s with a rising demand for advertising services from magazines and newspapers (Reference). The first known and acknowledged advertising agency was William Taylor from as early as 1786 followed by another prominent one in 1800 which was started by James Jem White at Fleet Street in London. Agencies started in America in 1850 which placed client produced advertisements in newspapers (Reference). Agencies started operating on a global scale during the early twentieth century. One of the currently well-known advertising agencies that started in the 1850s is James Walter Thompson (JWT) (Reference). JWT first joined Carlton and Smith Agency; eventually purchasing the advertising firm in 1877 and renamed it JWT. Inorder to be to make the agency successful, JWT hired artists and writers; forming the first known Creative Department in any advertising agency. JWT was also the first agency to develop and leave a global footprint (Refer ence). Since then, several other agencies have been created. Whilst some have survived through adapting to current global technological changes, some have folded as a result of depleting advertising budgets. This will be discussed further within the essay. Christian, (2014) asserts that advertising agencies usually operate independently from their clients and sometimes handle overall marketing and branding strategies and sales promotions for its clients. Businesses have for many years been reliant on advertising agencies which use advertising platforms such as television, newspapers, radio and magazines. Advertising agencies are services centred on advertising businesses. According to Hackley, (2010), advertising agencies create, plan and handle advertising for its customers. Advertising agencies may sometimes include marketing and undertake other promotional work for its clients (Hackley, 2010); and can sometimes also handle overall marketing and branding strategies and sales promotions for customers depending on the customers needs (Hackley, 2010). In the beginning, advertising agencies did not create advertisements but simply brokered advertising space in magazines and newspapers. Advertising agencies have overtime added creative se rvices to increase revenue. Their main role is to work with clients to develop advertising campaigns. They are staffed by copywriters, art directors, and media planners who create and place advertisements in what they deem as appropriate media for target audiences. Advertising agencies work within a companys advertising budget. What is New Media and its functions Advertising is becoming increasingly refined due to the introduction of new media. Chun and Keenan, (2006. Eds) refer to New media as products and services that provide information using various forms of electronic communication accessible the use of computer technology; it generally describes content that can is available on-demand through the Internet. New media enables people to view any content on various devices such as computers, laptops, tablets etcetera. This provides people with a way to immediately interact with the content and also enables people to share a lot of content online within a short space of time; this can be social networks or work related content with co-workers. Heath and Bryant, (2000) state that the introduction of new media has posed challenges to traditional advertising agencies due to the growth of the Internet and mobile technologies. Lewis, (2010) concurs by suggesting that the introduction of new media has had significant implications for advertising industry as new media has become the preferred platform of advertising thereby usurping business from advertising agencies. Dewdney and Ride, (2006) state that one of the key features of new and emerging media technologies which are now being used to advertise are often portable and have the capability to reach a wider audience within a very short space of time. New media advertising is mainly cost effective as most of the advertising platforms are free; this is not the case with old media which has always been used by advertising agencies (Lindgren cited in Galloway, 2005). New media advertising has the ability to promote visual marketing which is appealing to the consumer as compared to old media advertising which mostly in print form; and also enables content delivery on demand by consumers depending on the target audience (Las Vegas Review Journal, 2016). New media enables clients to develop blogs or webpages that provide up-to-date information on their products or services within seconds whereas advertising media have to plan in advance and schedule release of information following availability and purchase of advertising space. Within new media delivery systems, customers can subscribe to news feeds by receiving alerts to sales or company events directly to their electronic gadgets (reference). Companies with an online presence can also advertise their business on other popular websites to direct unique visitors to their companys webpage or use influencers to draw business towards their products. Whilst advertising agencies can also use influencers , it takes longer for advertisements to be seen on print media.In addition, new media has the ability and capacity to facilitate person-to-person communication through the availability of multimedia messaging through MMS, text messaging, SMS, emailing, SMS, online chatting and instant messaging, online forums and blogging within a short space of time; whereas old media used by advertising agencies is usually more of story -telling and rarely delivers specific calls to action (Streten, 2013). Advertising agencies use a one way form of communication whereas new media offers a two way communication with target audiences hence businesses now rely more on new media as it is easy to reach prospective new clients (Hausman, 2012) (Owen, 1999). This poses a massive challenge to advertising agencies as the amount of time taken to reach the same number of prospective clients will be much more. New media has brought about change to service provision in areas as diverse as dating, delivery of hi gher education courses and how people do their banking and the advantage is that this can be set for specific target audiences and therefore most companies will prefer this type of advertising as the target audience will be reached faster in comparison to traditional advertising; for example, when advertising adult content on television, this can only be advertised after watershed times and by then, some of the target audiences will not be watching or might miss the adverts (Bennet, 2003). Advertising agencies have been known to work as a link between smaller businesses which cannot often afford personal marketing teams and therefore companies, especially smaller ones turn to new advertising platforms as these are usually free (Inc.com, 2016). Advertising agencies have for many years focused predominantly on traditional media advertising, alongside television media (Brooks, 2012). However, new media has dramatically changed the role that print advertising plays in an agencys overall strategy and therefore advertising agencies have to now determine the new role for print, if any leading to the agencys further predicament. New media enables advertisers to quantify the increased revenue to clients which is a challenge to advertising agencies as their revenues cannot be accurately quantifiable (Hausman, 2012). New media, for example, Instagram, has the provision for advertisers with business insights, to understand their followers and clients engagement with the advertisin g campaigns (Instagram Business Tools, 2016) whereas advertising agencies do not have this provision especially if advertising on print media. Advertising agencies will need to master brand advertising and marketing and so as to be able to quantify the increased revenue to clients. In addition, agencies will need to work to focus more on the customer than its client inorder to somehow match new media delivery systems. This is likely to be costly for the agency as they need to train staff and change the rest of their planned advertisements (Reference) The challenges that new media and delivery systems have posed for advertising agencies New media has dramatically changed how advertising works and are continuously presenting several challenges for advertising agencies. Some of the hurdles encountered by advertising agencies include using new media and delivery systems media to deliver financial outcomes for clients, and they effectively integrate new media delivery systems such as Facebook, Instagram and twitter into inclusive campaigns and use these to convince clients that experts in social media can effectively deliver better results than doing so in person. Willott, (2011) suggest that changes in both technological and consumer behaviour have led to significant implications for the advertising industry. He argues that new media has given rise to the need to revisit advertising strategies and to the development of new ways of customer engagement for marketers during the communication process. Deuze, (2005) states that whilst engaging customers in advertising activities, new media has forced agencies to rethink new creative possibilities therefore creating challenges for adverting agencies as they have been used to a certain way of advertising which has always suited their business without taking the consumer into much consideration (2007). Therefore, it in this sense that new media has created both opportunities and challenges to advertising agencies and practitioners as they need to rise to the challenge of new media delivery systems by working in a way that will surpass or match or new media advertising. Falls (2009) suggests that advertising agencies are trying to figure out social media and if they want to continue to offer various marketing services to clients, then it is important to evolve and embrace some tenets of new media and adjust advertising strategies. He indicates that some agencies are adjusting by hiring smart new media thinkers; however there are still many that still operate in the same way they did before the introduction of media which has taken over the world of adverting. Falls, (2010) further states that many ad agencies have not yet figured out Interactive advertising; for example, Web 1.0 followed by Web 2.0 and many agencies and their respective creatives (art directors, copywriters, designers) and clients services teams are still not trained to think digitally. He argues that the problem is that there is a culture clash between advertising agencies and new media advertising and the issues can be said to both philosophical and tactical. (Kaplan and Haenlein, 2010). Philosophically, Falls, (2010) suggest that advertising agencies use a one-way communication system aimed at large groups of customers as compared to new media delivery systems which offer a two-way communication system; this requires listening and speaking. He further argues that new media can be deemed a multiple-way communication system as brands can speak and listen to customers and also observe or watch whilst other customers communicate with each other. Agencies creatives and strategic planners have to try and include similar communication systems however this will take a long time to achieve and can be costly as they have to either engage staff that are familiar with new media or train their existing staff on how new media works which may not be cost effective (Kaplan and Haenlein, 2010). It can be argued that new media delivery systems are customer focussed as it offers value for money to customers whereas advertising agencies are more business focussed and do not of fer to build a relationship with the customer (Coghlan, W. 2007). Therefore, philosophically, it can be argued that agency creative staff are being asked to all of a sudden master and undertake new methods of advertising and communicating which is in contrast to everything they have learnt in their careers. This has a direct impact on agencies as it directly impacts staff morale and can be counter effective. Looking at the issues from a tactical view, Falls, (2010) states that advertising creatives have always primarily focussed on traditional media and therefore are not wed savvy. For most of the employees, during the traditional advertising era, there were technological or electronic designing classes. Advertising was more art focussed which means the agency directors and designers were and still are more art focussed than technological. Traditional advertising is more linked to storytelling whereas web savvy specialists emanate from a technological era hence are experienced at in teractive or digital communication and work production. Falls, (2010) further states within advertising agencies, creative teams usually brainstorm to create their advertisements and are usually not part of the creative process and told what to input in their creative pieces by someone who makes the decision whereas those from the new media era are part of the creative process and therefore become part of the decision making process. (Reference). In addition, new media revolves around content creation, however, advertising agencies are incapable and ill prepared to create and produce the volume and type of content necessary for delivery systems such as Facebook, blogs, YouTube, Instagram and twitter, to name a few. New media on the other hand produces immediate quick conversational and responsive content whereas advertising agencies have to proof read several times and given the go ahead to publish. Advertising agencies buy advertising space and place advertisements for their clients and this is for a certain period of time however in new media, any posts last as long as the user likes and therefore are available to be viewed by more people generating possible new clientele (Reference). This has resulted in advertising agencies realising massive plummeting revenue figures. Due to advertising revenue falling due to plummeting readership and circulation, agencies have been forced to let some of its staff go which has endangered the quality of the newspapers and worsened the situation for advertising agencies (Currah, 2009a). Staff turnover has had a huge impact on advertising agencies due to loss of jobs due to most work which was manually done in old media being done technologically/electronically. Gregory, (2012)s research into how new media was impacting on advertising agencies indicates in the recent global recession in addition to new media appears to have left a massive impa ct on advertising agencies and their employees. Gregory, (2012) states several agencies had to downsize or lay off most of their employees while other employees moved to different industries because they were unsure about their jobs. Learmont, (2008), reports that according to a web based advertising agency media analysis of US Department of Labour employment statistics and news reports, advertising agencies in the United States shed more than 30,000 jobs in 2008 inorder to remain viable. However, in shedding these jobs, the agencies are likely to encounter further challenges as the laid off staff have the knowledge of how advertising works and therefore can get together and start their own competitive agencies that utilise new media and therefore pose more challenges as their customers will follow them in top their new businesses as they will already have a working partnership. These changes resulted in high turnover at other competing corporations; therefore, this weakened client ties to advertising agencies as most employees that individual clients had developed working relationships with had left the advertising agencies and therefore took their businesses elsewhere. Clients were unsure if these advertising agencies would continue trading which could negatively impact their businesses if the agencies went out of business (Gregory, 2012). Advertising agencies need to have consistent and trusting relationships with their afloat otherwise a non-consistent relationship makes it easier for clients to take their business elsewhere. Inorder to overcome McCabe, (2012 in Gregory, 2012) states that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.. its difficult to maintain consistent creative approaches and media buying strategies when writers, art directors and media buyers dont remain agency employees beyond one airing of an advertising campaign, This mainly results from low sta ff turnover following agencies retrenching staff go due to low clientele leading to agencies losing their income base. Most business that was traditionally handled by advertising agencies has now mostly been taken over by new media advertising. Business owners appear to prefer this type of advertising as they argue that whilst there are certain challenges in using new media for business advertisements, these are outweighed by the opportunities in terms of cost, longevity of displayed advertisements, reaching target audience on a wide scale (e-marketer, 2016): for example, advertising on Facebook also advertises on Instagram meaning you place one advert on one delivery system and it appears on other delivery systems using Instagrams hashtag system. Due to the hours people spend on their mobile phones, emails and browsing social networks, a little time is now spent reading newspapers and magazines and usually by the older generation who still prefer traditional media advertising, advertising agencies that have remained afloat have had to completely change the way. Most customers would like to skip commercial and therefore prefer to use new media delivery systems which enables them to skip commercials and view whatever interests them. Epstein, (2015) states that advertising agencies and brand advertisers are still focussing on the short slots they that traditional media has used since the inception of traditional advertising because this is what they have always known and been good at. However, due to their reluctance to adapt to the changes brought by new media, the agencies are failing to reach their target audiences as the audiences have now been swept away by the new media and service delivery systems (Choi, (2011). Therefore , it can be argued that despite these changes and challenges being encountered by agencies, they are still inept to adapt to the changes that are ruining agency efficacy. Advertising agencies have become rigid to the ways to they practice such that they have been increasingly slow to adapt to the new media ways of practice (Haughteling, 2015) This could be a result of the way advertisements have been formulated in the past and because they have over the years successfully operated in this way, agencies do not see the need to adapt and evolve to the advertising trends brought about by new media and delivery systems. Haughteling, (2015) suggests that the big successful advertising agencies such as Omnicom, IPG[1], Saatchi and Saatchi and WPP to name a few, have adapted and focussed more upon its digital functions and in so doing, shuffled their teams to suit current trends and laid off excess staff and hired already qualified personnel who are adept in using new media. However, with a ll the changes the agencies have undergone, these have not altered the fundamental threats faced by advertising agencies in this era of rapid technological change resulting from the excellence of new media (Beeching and Wood, 2007). If agencies are ill-equipped to handle the demands of digital media, new partners who are ready to rise upto the challenge will continue to usurp business from the agencies and additional challenges will be realised by agencies and affect their efforts of trying to remain afloat and in competition. In addition, brands can directly partner digital influencers who have hordes of new media followers and play an important role in matching brands, manufacturers and clients as they help to coordinate broader campaigns (Benkler, 2006). Whilst advertising agencies place advertisements that aims to reach a wider group of customers, new media involves individually tailored person to person marketing (Hausman, 2012). New media uses targeting tools which enables advertisers to pay only for advertisements that they feel prospective clients who might be interested in the advertised products (Allen, 2015). Magazine advertising campaigns are commonly produced beforehand and are usually scheduled for months which does not satisfy the consumers need for new content on a regular basis (Hausman, 2012). New media on the other hand produces and immediately issues out regular new content on a regular basis. In addition, OGuinn et al., (2012) state that advertising agencies have periodical subscription fees as compared to new media which is mostly free or cheaper which results in new media having the urge over advertisements placed by advertising agencies. Therefore, this poses several challenges for advertising agencies as they lo se regular and prospective clientele to new media platforms which offers them much more for less payments. In addition to the above, advertising agencies do not completely. Conclusion In conclusion, it is apparent that the rise of new media has posed challenges for advertising agencies in that major changes have been realised within the advertising industry as a whole and to the role of advertising agencies in particular. Coghlan, W. (2007) states that advertising agencies work as a link between clients and consumers however the speed with which new media delivery systems avails new content on various platforms cannot be matched by platforms used by advertising agencies. New media continues to lead in the advertising setting and research shows that it still has a capability to gain further momentum with the next few years as more and more delivery systems are being introduced which appear to be favoured by both the customers and clients (Reference). New media advertising has opened a whole new wide world of opportunities for clients as more and more customers are engaging well with new media. Digital media use is global and is increasingly overtaking agencies time spent watching TV and reading newspapers in on the decline. Internet use now accounts for double the time spent using traditional media (Meeker 2015). New media is getting stronger; for example, Instagram, one of the new media delivery systems is expected to reach at least $3.8 billion business by 2020 (DOnfro, 2016). In contrast, advertising agencies are having to lay off staff due to a decline in clientele and moreso their advertising budget is increasingly decreasing due to a decline in their profit margins. References Andreasen, A.R. (2002). Marketing Social Marketing in the Social Change Marketplace. Journal of Public Policy Marketing.Vol. 21 (I) pp. 3-13 Deuze, M. (2010). Managing Media Work. Business Economics. SAGE Publications. London Fox, S. 1985. Making of Modern Advertising. New York Joseph, T. (2007). Breaking Up America: Advertisers and the New Media World. University of Chicago Press. Chicago. Liang, K. and Jacobs, L. (2015). Chinas advertising agencies: Problems and relations International Journal of Advertising Vol. 13(3) pp. 205-215 Marchand, R. 1995. Advertising the American Dream: Making Way for Modernity, 1920 1940 Berkeley: University of California Press. Miller, C 1994, Advertisers face an interactive future, Marketing News, 28, 14, p. 10, Business Source Ultimate, EBSCOhost, viewed 8 December 2016. OBrien, M., 2015. What Challenges Do Agencies Face? Agency Spotlight Marketing. Available online at: https://www.clickz.com/what-challenges-do-agencies-face-in-2015/25796/ [Accessed on 08 November 2016] Owen, B.M. 1999. The Internet Challenge to Television. Cambridge. Harvard University Press. Patten, G. 2015, Media buying will get harder, Campaign Asia-Pacific, p. 44, [Accessed on: 9 December 2016] Salman, A., Ibrahim, F., Hj.Abdullah M.Y., Mustaffa, N. and Mahbob, M.H. 2011. 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The Death of Print? The Challenges and Opportunities facing the Print Media on the Web. Reuters Institute Fellowship Paper, University of Oxford Andrew Currah (2009a): Whats happening to our news: An investigation into the likely impact of the digital revolution on the economics of news publishing; A Reuters Institute Challenge paper. Meeker, M. 2015. Internet Trends 2015, http://www.kpcb.com/internet-trends. Napoli, P. M. 2011. Audience Evolution: New Technologies and the Transformation of Media Audiences. New York: Columbia University Press. Newman, N., Levy, D. A. L., Nielsen, R. K. 2015. Reuters Institute Digital News Report 2015. Oxford: Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism. http://www.digitalnewsreport.org/ Higuera, V. 2016.Advantagesand DisadvantagesofTraditional Marketing Accessed on 23.12.2016. Available onlie at: http://smallbusiness.chron.com/advantages-disadvantages-traditional-marketing-25573.html Absolute Marketing Group. (2016). 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Why your traditional agency will never really understand digital. Available online at: http://mashable.com/2015/04/09/traditional-agency-digital. Accessed 05 January 2017 Epstein, S. 2015. Why the traditional ad agency is a dying breed. Available online at: http://mashable.com/2015/07/30/the-ad-agency-is-dead. Accessed 05 January 2017 Goforth-Gregory, J. 2012. Challenges Facing Todays Advertising Company. Available online at: https://www.americanexpress.com/us/small-business/openforum/articles/challenges-facing-todays-advertising-company/. Accessed on 04 January 2017 Brooks, S.L.(2012 Evaluating the effectiveness of content and brand marketing Lacayo Advertising in Gregory, J. (2012). Available online at: ttps://www.americanexpress.com/us/small-business/openforum/articles/challenges-facing-todays-advertising-company Accessed on 04 January 2017. Falls, J. 2009. Advertising Agencies And Social Media: A Culture Clash. 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Facing the Digital Reality: The Path to Future High Performance in Advertising. New York: Accenture Media and entertainment. Hart

An Argument Against High Salaries in Major League Baseball Essay

An Argument Against High Salaries in Major League Baseball Twenty-five million dollars made per year. Over one hundred fifty-four thousand dollars made per game. Over forty-seven thousand dollars earned per at bat. Sounds a little ridiculous, does it not? That is what current Texas Ranger shortstop Alex Rodriguez earns to play the game of baseball (azcentral.com). Baseball is a game that children have been playing in schoolyards and fields for the past one hundred years. It may not be a game anymore. On the Major League level it has become a business. This is where the problem starts. There are twenty-five players who make more than ten million dollars per year, a price that, ten years ago, only two players made half of that (azcentral.com). The Seattle Mariners had the highest median salary in 2002 at over 3.3 million dollars per player. Ten years ago, the same Seattle Mariners had a median salary of $317,500; an increase of over three million dollars or an increase of over 900% (usatoday.com). This trend can be seen in all Major League franchises. The salaries in Major League Baseball are growing at an astronomical rate that should not only decrease, but halt, due to the fact that these salaries are pushing away the fans that support these businesses and the lack of parity within baseball itself. Baseball has historically been known as America’s pastime because the American people cannot only enjoy games that they play themselves, but attend professional games and have a good afternoon with friends. But in 1972, Curt Flood challenged the reserve system in court and became the first free-agent, a player who is legally able to sign a contract with any team he chooses for a... ...ined. The money of this nation should go towards those who will make a difference tomorrow. The salaries of professional baseball players are at such a level that fan support is dwindling from the franchises, as well as creating a talent gap among teams causing the game to be tainted. Works Cited Stark, Jayson. The Decision that Changed the Game. 22 November 2002. 25 March 2003 http://espn.go.com/mlb/columns/stark_jayson/891711.html 2002 MLB Attendance. 23 February 2003. Montreal Expos. 25 March 2003 http://mtlexpos.tripod.com/attendance2002_mlb.htm Baseball Salaries Database. 11 November 2002. USA Today. 25 March 2003 http://asp.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/salaries/default.aspx Twenty-five Highest Paid Major League Baseball Players. 12 May 2002. Arizona Republic. 25 March 2003 http://www.azcentral.com/sports/diamondbacks/ top25salaries2002.html

Weather anomalies very challenging

Nino weather anomalies very challenging. (10)Countries in the Monsoon climatic region of SE & S Asia depend on the rains that come with the precision of Calender dates (due to the precise dates of Sun's seasonal shift as per Calender dates). It is essential for their agriculture, where countries with huge populations have to feed them, made possible with assured crops. Any variation in timing ; rainfall quantum affects their crop production adversely. It also leads to unforeseen flooding caused by excessive rains (other environmental factors ike soil erosion aiding it) that washes out the crops.Monsoon is created by the Sea surface temperature variation (Pacific Ocean largely) as per Calender dates. El Nino refers to the unusual, unseasonal warming of the equatorial currents of the Pacific Ocean that upsets Monsoon. We all know how huge is this Ocean and how very broad (about 10000 miles) it is at its Equator; its sheer volume of water absorbs the solar heat energy and acts like an e ngine for the Monsoon. It is a challenge to these countries. Modellig it mathematically (an exercise in atmospheric Physics) is one of the most complicated problems with an innumerable set of parametrs ; that is a challenge.India bought the first ‘Cray' Super-Computer for its meteorological department that can give accuarte predictio(a) Suggest why many countries find El Nino weather anomalies very challenging. (10) El Nino is referring to the dramatic change that occurs in the walker circulation cell and in other areas but I am going to focus on this specific area, where the usually outh-easterly trade winds going from west of South America to Australia and Indonesia across the Pacific Ocean reverse or severely weaken.This occurs usually every 3-7 years and can last between 12-18 months. During an El Nino the warm sea in the western pacific migrate towards the South American coast because they are being dragged across by the winds. This stops the upwelling near South America and means that there are little nutrients in the sea. This lack of nutrients ruins the South American fishing industry and courses them to loose lots of income and money, for xample in 1982/83 El Nino the South American fishing industry lost $290 million.Also as you can sea from fgure 7 there is lots of rain fall on the west coast of South America due to the low pressure, this heavy rain fall cause severe flooding and mudslides that result in loss of life, an example of this was in central Ecuador and Peru in 1997 when it suffered rainfall 10 times the average rainfall, this caused extensive flooding and erosion as well as mudslides, there was loss of life and destruction of property as the country wasn't able to cope with the severe weather.On the other side of the pacific in Australia and Indonesia the cold weather reduces evaporation, which causes very little rain and therefore drought, for example in the 1982/83 El Nino eastern Australia suffered one of it's worst drought ever, resulting in a $2000 million loss in agriculture production. It causes crop failure and famine and many people died as a result.

The Best Topics for Essay Writing of 2013

The Best Topics for Essay Writing of 2013 The Best Topics for Essay Writing of 2013 Everybody knows how difficult it is to take a first step, no matter what kind of task you have to do. The same is true about writing an essay. Trying to write a draft even without knowing how and what you have to write can help you practice writing a little bit, but on the other hand it is a complete waste of time in most cases. So, every kind of task needs careful planning in order to know the sequence of all actions you have to take while writing your essay. Well, the first and perhaps the most important step you have to take is choosing a topic of your essay. You can pick one randomly, without even thinking whether it meets your essay requirements or whether you are interested in it and can find enough information. Choosing an inappropriate topic may cause further problems, and it would be just too late to change another one. So, consider all the possible problems you may encounter while writing an essay on a particular topic. By the way, it is better to choose an interesting topic, even if it is complicated, then to knock yourself out writing an easy, but rather boring essay which will not appeal neither to you, nor your teachers. Keep in mind that a bad beginning makes a bad ending. Lets consider several ideas of choosing a compelling topic. First of all, you can choose a recent event, something that happened in 2013, and analyze it in your essay. Do you remember the birth of the British royal child, Prince George of Cambridge? Why not write an essay analyzing the importance of British monarchy or the possibility to change the form of government and the consequences of it. Maybe it is worth mentioning Edward Snowden? You can express your opinion on whether he did the right thing by disclosing confidential information of US government. You can also dwell upon various surveillance programs here. Are you interested in physics? Write an essay about Peter Higgs, who was given a Noble Prize in Physics in 2013. Having researched elementary particles, Higgs boson in particular, his work has a significant impact on science. So, the useful tip for you is, try to remember everything that happened in 2013 and choose the event you were impressed by. On the other hand, there are things that happen all the time. The humanity hasnt found a solution to many problems, such as environmental pollution, poverty, terrorism etc. Anyway, there are lots of topics to choose from. If you need some help with writing your essay, we can eagerly help you with such kind of task. is one of professional essay writing services which provides students with quality custom essays and research papers. We write custom papers on any essay topics!

Gloria Steinem Essays

Gloria Steinem Essays Gloria Steinem Essay Gloria Steinem Essay Gloria Steinem positions America as a mostly male-dominant civilization. In her attempts to talk out and fight against this imbalanced signifier of society she strongly enforces her positions of female anti-submissiveness. Because of the apparently unjust sum of rights work forces have deprived American adult females of. Steinem calls for drastic alterations in the manner adult females view themselves and are viewed both in the society and within the place. Steinem’s biggest job with our society is the rough stereotyped positions that are laced all throughout the civilization. Children are raised with the thoughts that work forces dominate certain countries of life. and adult females others. and traversing these spliting lines into countries reserved for the other gender is an act seen as both unnatural and tabu. In her essay Life Between the Lines Steinem touches upon the common matrimonial job of housekeeping. ( Steinem. 8 ) Because of the deeply frozen tradition of females and housekeeping. many adult females struggle with feelings of weakness and even embarrassment when seeking to acquire their hubbies to assist out around the place. : In Huston and History . Steinem writes that because of the secondary position adult females are traditionally seen as holding. they are more likely to associate to minorities and those seen as less fortunate . Frederick Douglass recognized this when he stated that the cause of the slave has been particularly women’s cause. Associating back to the battle to stop bondage. which was most enthusiastically fought by the adult females. The essay Sisterhood imperativenesss on this subject every bit good when it declares that the deep and personal connexions among adult females populating under patriarchy frequently causes them to leap barriers of age. economic sciences. worldly experience. race. [ and ] civilization. ( 123 ) Even though society physiques many walls between different people. the common end of subordination remains a really strong uniting factor. Male and female functions in society have ever been seen as immensely different. The common children’s verse form: What are small misss made of? Sugar and spice. And everything Nice. That’s what small misss are made of. What are small male childs made of? Snips and snails. And puppy Canis familiaris dress suits. That’s what small male childs are made of. ( cyberspace: hypertext transfer protocol: //showcase. netins. net/web/marys/LittleBoys. htm ) is a perfect illustration of the generalisations our state has towards the two genders. Steinem suggests in her essay College Reunion that. through instruction. the boundaries between the two sexes might get down to fade out. Steinem states that Women’s colleges have seldom taught us to contend for ourselves. or for other adult females. ( 137 ) Merely in learning adult females the accomplishments necessary to interrupt down the walls that tradition has built up. and equality and full humanity of adult females and men is achieved. can true feminism be accomplished. ( 5 ) Another major subject illustrated in this book is the author’s concern about the sexual relationships between male and female. Harmonizing the Steinem. our culture’s stereotyped positions of the sexes frequently envelopes all facets of life. conveying male-dominance even into the sleeping room. Three essays concentrating chiefly upon the sexual laterality of work forces are Erotica vs. Pornography . I was a Playboy Bunny . and If Men Could Menstruate . Erotica vs. Pornography centres on manner the American society often sees sex. In America. kids are raised with images of female sex symbols strewn all across the media which make adult females vulnerable for the pleasance of work forces. Steinem attributes the sexual male-supremacy to this voguish media tool. A common quotation mark exemplifying this point is sex will sale anything . Because of the steady moral diminution in society. sex is besides confused with force and aggression in all signifiers of popular civilization. ( 239 ) Pictures of females are seen in every signifier of media. from the telecasting to the cyberspace to the paper. This imagination drastically influences the manner females think of themselves. and are viewed by others. I was a Playboy Bunny speaks of the clip in which the writer went undercover to go one of the celebrated Playboy Bunnies . Once within the Playboy realm the glamor and intrigue rapidly started to melt. Steinem saw that the bunnies were used in affect as inexpensive labour to feed the immensely popular Playboy nines. Working long hours with no or small wage ( 54 ) . hideous ordinances on hair. heels. vesture. and even the bunny demeanour all added to the unspectacular life of a Bunny. If Men Could Menstruate is a amusing expression at how the universe would be different if it was in fact the male sex who was on a periodic catamenial rhythm. Clearly. menses would go an enviable. boast-worthy masculine event: Work force would boast about how long and how much. and Sanitary supplies would be federally funded and free. ( 367 ) Although the essay is an interesting sarcasm on what could be . no existent statements are held or reinforced. It is in impacting an amusive expression at how the civilization might respond if work forces were given the properties of the weaker sex . Although many of Steinem’s statements are good supported and easy seen as valid. they often focus on either to wide. or to contract a subject. Essaies like Men and Women Talking express the communicating wonts between males and females all over the universe. from Europe ( 193 ) . Australia ( 194 ) . Japan ( 203 ) . and the U. S. – a really big base from which pulling any solid decisions becomes drastically more hard. The other utmost argumental stance occurs in being to contract. Essaies like Ruth’s Song dressed ore on a individual case and circumstance. Because of the narrow focal point it is difficult to associate a specific illustration to a larger. more common case. In Ruth’s Song Steinem says that the biggest ground that my female parent was cared for but non helped for twenty old ages was the simplest her operation was non that necessary to the universe. ( 143 ) Inferring that because her female parent was a female. Steinem suggests that her lone function in the economic system was to bring forth and care for her progeny. and that because she no longer could make either 1. she was non an of import member in society. Although her point may be good made. it relates straight to merely those females who have. or are straight effected by a mental dislocation. Because of the unwellness of one adult female. it is difficult to reason that the destiny of a individual individual would be the same for everyone else holding a similar luck. Steinem’s statements all have the implicit in subject of female restriction in a male-dominant society. To battle this she proposes that adult females learn to stand up for themselves and take action. Merely through active alteration in every person. can full and complete equilibrium among the sexes take topographic point.

HANA

HANA The movie â€Å"HANA-BI† or â€Å"Fireworks† tells a story of a retired police officer who has left his work for emotional reasons, due to the accident with his friend. As such, his life has turned into a completely different experience, and he has to adjust to different values and morals.Advertising We will write a custom article sample on â€Å"HANA-BI† a Movie by Takeshi Kitano specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More One of the key scenes in the movie is where Nishi is sitting by the fire with his wife Miyuki. She has leukemia and Nishi is taking care of her. The inevitability of the decease is written on his face in several instances during the movie. The scene where they sit and laugh by the fire is significant for several things. The formal elements of the clip include a married couple spending time together. From a side, it would be impossible to suppose that one has a deadly disease while the other is eternally s addened by the fact that nothing can be done. It seems like a separate moment in time where all the worries are taken away, and only the fire and the company of a close person are being paid attention to (HANA-BI). The thematic elements of the clip are tied into the main theme that even though there are happy moments, they must be mixed with pain and suffering. It is thus representative of life and all the perturbations that make people so vulnerable to the circumstances and conditions of being alive. The scene is thus connected to the whole film, as one story flows into another and the setting is changed completely (Phillips 2007). The continuous nature of life is represented by the situations that Nishi finds himself in, and the course of action he chooses. The scene is filled with feeling because Kitano has had a life full of emotional situations, and has experienced pain first hand. He knows how important it is to value each moment that is given to people, as even those miniscul e pieces in time can be taken away in a blink of an eye (Norden 1994). In a greater historical context, it is possible to recognize the hardships that accompany the battle for happiness and survival. A particular emphasis is made on the struggles of a person who is fighting an illness, their personal lives and those of people around. It is meant to show the pain that relatives and close people go through. Previously, such deadly conditions were even less managed than today, so it is meant to signify the progress that has been made, even though it is not enough to save people’s lives.Advertising Looking for article on art and design? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In reality, it is difficult for Nishi to be beside his wife, look at her and realize that some day he will not be able to talk to her or spend time simply sitting by the fire and laughing. This shows a true emotional connection that he has with anoth er person, and this scene is meant to teach others how fragile life is (Belton 1996). The movie is filled with moments that are emotional, sentimental and heartfelt. It has been acclaimed as a work of art because it touches the inner corners of the person’s heart, and makes one wonder about the true values of life. The scene very directly and vividly describes the relationship between two people, and the connection to the outside influences which are rarely anticipated by people and their seeming strength. Belton, John. Movies and Mass Culture. London, UK: Continuum, 1996. Print. HANA-BI. Ex. Prdod. Kitano Takeshi. Chiyoda-ku, Tokya: Nipppon Herald Films. 1997. Film. Norden, Martin. The Cinema of Isolation: A History of Physical Disability in the Movies. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 1994. Print. Phillips, Alastair. Japanese Cinema: Texts and Contexts. New York, NY: Taylor Francis, 2007. Print.

IP2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

IP2 - Essay Example It includes use of demographic methods (such as gender or age), socio-economics (such as income levels or social class) and geographic location (often using sophisticated zip code or postal systems). Psychological include using customer attitudes and perceptions, the lifestyles of customers and the types of benefits customers seek from products and brands and their consumption choices (Baines, Fill, and Page 232). Behavioral criteria involve use of behavioral constructs such as product usage, purchase, and ownership to segment consumer markets. With the increasing sophistication of laundry detergent buyers we shall segment our market into two: (1) low-income, playschool parents – who have children younger than four years old, who purchase their laundry detergents at supermarkets or convenience stores. The laundry detergent will be for washing children wear. (2) The second target market shares all attributes with (1) except in this case we will be targeting primary school parents, who have children between ages 5 – 9 years. Young parents are high users of laundry detergents because of the need to keep their children, who change clothes at least twice a day, clean. Though this market segment tends to be loyal to their brands, we are targeting the low-income parents who are much keener than their high-income counterparts to try out new offerings. Though we may have to put a low price on our products to satisfy the low-income market, we anticipate high volumes because this demographic group tends to have more children than the high income counterparts. Our target market (2) will also feed from target market (1) as the children grow and their parents become loyal to our brand. Our biggest competitor shall be Procter & Gamble’s Dreft and Ivory Snow. Dreft’s value proposition is that it â€Å"helps remove tough baby stains, pediatrician recommended and the first choice of mothers

Industrial Revolution in the Late Nineteenth Century Assignment

Industrial Revolution in the Late Nineteenth Century - Assignment Example This plan, therefore, played a significant historical role because it contained communism in Western Europe (Divine G-10). Gulf of Tonkin Resolution The Gulf of Tonkin Resolution took place in 1964, after an American destroyer in the Gulf of Tonkin was attacked by a North Vietnamese. As a result, President Johnson convinced the Congress to pass a resolution empowering him to attack Vietnam through the armed forces. This resolution was not only used by America as retaliation but also heightened its involvement in the Vietnam War. THE ESSAY Industrial Revolution in the Late Nineteenth Century In the late nineteenth century, the American economy marked a complete turnaround following the tremendous industrial revolution that took place around that time. Some of the major factors that contributed to these developments include new innovations in the business strategy and technology. These developments led to new ways of farming and manufacturing and, most importantly, increased the effici ency of these economic activities. Railroad was one of the important breakthroughs during this era of industrial revolution, which enhanced movement of people as well as goods, and stimulated a range of economic activities as well as business strategies in America. This essay will discuss the developments of the industrialization during the late nineteenth century, pointing out their benefits and drawbacks. Following the great industrial improvements after 1815, the market demand for different commodities led to innovation of speedy mass production and standardized methods of production. The first innovation in textile manufacturing was a fully developed factory system. This included invention of spinning machinery and the first cotton mills... In the late nineteenth century, the American economy marked a complete turnaround following the tremendous industrial revolution that took place around that time. Some of the major factors that contributed to these developments include new innovations in the business strategy and technology. These developments led to new ways of farming and manufacturing and, most importantly, increased the efficiency of these economic activities. Railroad was one of the important breakthroughs during this era of industrial revolution, which enhanced movement of people as well as goods, and stimulated a range of economic activities as well as business strategies in America. Following the great industrial improvements after 1815, the market demand for different commodities led to innovation of speedy mass production and standardized methods of production. The first innovation in textile manufacturing was a fully developed factory system. This included invention of spinning machinery and the first cott on mills that used power loom. This technology enabled use of a single factory to convert fiber into cloth. The technology greatly enhanced efficiency in the cloth industry.

Aftermath of WWI and the Treaty of Versailles Essay - 1

Aftermath of WWI and the Treaty of Versailles - Essay Example They were not at all very happy with what they got. Germany was forced into signing a lopsided agreement that to her citizens was robbery in broad daylight. They were made to pay reparations that at that time was an astronomical amount. To add insult to injury the German people lost a significant part of their territory. Germany was carved up like a juicy present and the gifts distributed to the loyal member of the victorious allies. It was worse than any physical abuse as the German people was stripped bare of dignity and even hope of a better future. The heart of the people looked like Berlins bombed out dwellings, like the scarred remains of burnt buildings. It was a tough time. It was the worst defeat ever experienced by any nation. The thought of a league of nations working together to turn a conquered foe into a submissive and docile beast is shameful. But the nations around Europe were not finished yet with the undressing of this people. They wanted to be sure that Germanys much vaunted armed forces will never rise again. The League of Nations made all the necessary steps to be certain that never again will Germany terrorize the world. The once proud nation was brought to her knees. But the humiliation did not stop there. The leaders of the victorious allies pinned the majority of the guilt and all the wickedness of the Great War on Germany. It was an unmistakable charge as one reads the Versailles treaty. From then on, something akin to rage was burning in the hearts of the German people, most specially her patriots. Hitler shared in the ignominy of her people and Fatherland. Yet instead of breaking down in perpetual state of weakness and utter hopelessness his sinister mind began to plot the most daring comeback in the history of national politics. Hitler and Nazism was able to achieve what the German people had been trying to do since 1919 and that is to voice out their disgust on the infamous treaty.

Derm Project Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Derm Project - Assignment Example Acne Folliculitis Acne, scientifically called Acne vulgaris is a common skin condition. It affects the hair follicles at the chest, face or even the back. It is manifested in the skin as congested pores called comedones, pustules, tender red bumps or cysts. Diagnosis of acne is on the basis of patient history and physical assessment. Initial pathology through microscopy is called microcomedo and, involves open or comedones referred to as blackheads and whiteheads respectively. These include Pillsbury acne grading scale, acne cook scale and acne Leeds technique (Gaeddert, 2003). Folliculitis is a common skin condition which is evident by several minute red or pink bumps predominant in at the hair follicles. This skin condition can affect any part of the body including the back, arms, legs, chest and cheeks. Ranging between 10 - 100 bumps, this skin condition appears as a scatter within the affected area. The spots or bumps can be slightly red indicating an inflammation. Accidental scr atching of the bump reveals a coiled hair engulfed within the bump. Diagnosis of Folliculitis basically involves the assessment of the skin’s appearance (Gaeddert, 2003). On rare instances is skin biopsies required so as to help the dermatologist on diagnosis. Additionally, the skin could be cultured in bacterial media so as to help in detection of the causative agent. Microscopic tests on the skin including fungal tests can be conducted using potassium hydroxide. This procedure helps in determining whether the condition is caused by a fungus or yeast. A histopathological procedure can be conducted to reveal epidermal hyperkeratosis as well as clustering of leukocytes. Rosacea Eczema Rosacea is a thriving skin condition which affects the eyes and the face. It is characterized by reddening of the affected region indicating a possible inflammation as well as emergence of pimples. This dermatological condition is most pronounced in women and individuals with fair skin tone. Usua lly, Rosacea is evident in the age range of between 30 to 60 years. Also termed as acne rosacea, this condition is characterized by symptoms of swollen nose, thick skin, red and itchy eyes. Moreover, there is a stinging facial skin on application of lotions as well as minute red veins on the face. The diagnosis of Rosacea is mostly dependent on physical examination categorized as primary or secondary features. A patient is diagnosed with Rosacea if he or she possesses one of the primary features of persistent flushing, pimples, visible blood vessels. Secondary features are manifest in several subtypes including Papulopustular, Phymatous Erythematotelangiectatic and ocular rosacea (Gaeddert, 2003). Eczema is characterized by vesicles that are small and which contain fluid substance. These vessicles are pimple like and are evident as reddish and swollen. When dried, the fluids leave behind dry patches on the surface of the affected areas. This condition occurs in the facial region in a majority of patients. Eczema can be diagnosed through microscopy. Seborrheic Dermatitis Scalp psoriasis A close relative psoriasis is the seborrheic dermatitis that affects the scalp as well. This condition is inflammatory and it leads to the production of flaky, white to yellowish scabs on the skin. Symptoms of this condition include reddish swollen patches around the nose, armpits and mouth. Others include itching, widespread

Beethoven's Hearing Loss & Its Effect On His Music Research Paper

Beethoven's Hearing Loss & Its Effect On His Music - Research Paper Example He was born in 1770 and in around 1800, his hearing sense started to deplete with every passing day and in some years, he was totally deaf to hear anything around him. This sorrowful event in his life did not only affect his life, rather his whole career was at the stake and he had to abandon the pianist classes and performances. Ludvig continued to compose different lyrics for music and shows but his art of singing and performing live was depleting swiftly. He was of the view the music is being affected badly by his performance being deaf. Dissonant harmonies are a must to feel and hear when you are performing on a public platform to imbibe and integrate the learning capacity in music. He as not unable to hear anything thus he had to leave singing and performing in the general masses1. The early strike of deafness isolated Ludvig Beethoven because of the fact that this great artist was at the peak of his career when the deafness started. Experts are of the view that if this deafness would not have been struck Ludvig , he would have become a great director and virtuoso pianist. Ludvig was a man of a few words form the very first day and his aim was only to performance rather than to speak but deafness forced him to stay out of any social circle. The deafness was very slow and growing erratically. The slow augmentation of hearing problems broke the heart of Beethoven and pushed him to leave his career. Many artists tried to make Ludvig understand the fact that there is a peculiar originality in hiswork because when person hears other sounds, there is an increased chance and tendency of copying the content whereas in case of Ludvig, there was uniqueness and creativity not only in his work but also in his style, his pianist approach, his lyrics but all these motivation could not inject the sense of performing and singing in front of people because he thought it would affect the music itself. When Ludvig was 26 years old, in the year of 1796, he started to experien ce the symptoms of deafness when he heard the tinnitus, a "ringing" in his ears. According to the letter written by Beethoven to his friendin 1801, it is depicted that Beethoven always wanted to continue his career at the start when the magnitude of the deafness was not known to anyone. He wrote to his friends that these days heis suffering from hear loss symptoms and how he is much worried about the effect of this problem on his profession. Beethoven continued to go for the musical concerts and public events despite of the deteriorating hearing condition. In the stage performance of his Ninth Symphony, he had to move his face towards the audience to experience the big applause on his performance. He was so shocked on this that he wept in front of the whole audience2. Many experts and historians are of the view that Beethoven wanted to appear in pubic even after the depletion of his hearing power because at the start, he said that hearing has nothing to do with singing and I can con tinue with my career. But after a failed public attempt in 1811 to perform his own Piano Concerto No. 5 (the "Emperor"), he never tried to perform in public again and his perception about the links between deafness and singing were revamped. He said that due to the inability to understand and evaluate one’s performance with his own ear, it is not possible to keep

Vacation at the Lake Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Vacation at the Lake - Essay Example If a person asks for a relationship of a notion of an ideal vacation, it would be everything that the lake has to provide. To take a walk along the sandy beach made up of wood cautiously arranged to safeguard the delicate shoreline, and have a feeling of the soaked and moist and soft between the toes is better than any treatment or massage for anyone’s soles. In addition, chipmunks and small squirrels play tag through the tall trees, moving from one tree to another while revealing their annoyance at one another with little squeaks and chirps. Also, the deer of the bushes come with their young ones and let them run all over until they are tired, and watch over them cautiously in case humans make any move that is deemed hostile by them. It is largely a family vacation, where numerous recognizable faces congregate in the summertime to get pleasure from these components, and many more inside the lake. The chilly waters of the lake also offer something that can be enjoyed by everyo ne. Whether it is for the young ones having fun at the shallow end with the small fish pinching at their small feet so long as they can stand it, or it is for the older people resting on the docks, making their feet just soaked adequately to have a pleasant feeling of the refreshing temperature. However, teenagers and people in their twenties prefer the more adventurous side of the lake which has turbulent waves and the promise of a chaotic event of any form. There is nothing which can match the excitement felt after a pleasant jet skiing, wakeboarding, or tubing experience in the fierce conditions. Normally, the lunch period is spent out on the relaxed side of the lake, swimming and taking in the sun until the legs and arms refuse to function adequately. People engage in activities that please them the most in the afternoon, some continue with the wild antics of the earlier period while others go sailing. Also, others remain in-shore and take part in a friendly match of water volle yball.  

Derm Project Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Derm Project - Assignment Example Acne Folliculitis Acne, scientifically called Acne vulgaris is a common skin condition. It affects the hair follicles at the chest, face or even the back. It is manifested in the skin as congested pores called comedones, pustules, tender red bumps or cysts. Diagnosis of acne is on the basis of patient history and physical assessment. Initial pathology through microscopy is called microcomedo and, involves open or comedones referred to as blackheads and whiteheads respectively. These include Pillsbury acne grading scale, acne cook scale and acne Leeds technique (Gaeddert, 2003). Folliculitis is a common skin condition which is evident by several minute red or pink bumps predominant in at the hair follicles. This skin condition can affect any part of the body including the back, arms, legs, chest and cheeks. Ranging between 10 - 100 bumps, this skin condition appears as a scatter within the affected area. The spots or bumps can be slightly red indicating an inflammation. Accidental scr atching of the bump reveals a coiled hair engulfed within the bump. Diagnosis of Folliculitis basically involves the assessment of the skin’s appearance (Gaeddert, 2003). On rare instances is skin biopsies required so as to help the dermatologist on diagnosis. Additionally, the skin could be cultured in bacterial media so as to help in detection of the causative agent. Microscopic tests on the skin including fungal tests can be conducted using potassium hydroxide. This procedure helps in determining whether the condition is caused by a fungus or yeast. A histopathological procedure can be conducted to reveal epidermal hyperkeratosis as well as clustering of leukocytes. Rosacea Eczema Rosacea is a thriving skin condition which affects the eyes and the face. It is characterized by reddening of the affected region indicating a possible inflammation as well as emergence of pimples. This dermatological condition is most pronounced in women and individuals with fair skin tone. Usua lly, Rosacea is evident in the age range of between 30 to 60 years. Also termed as acne rosacea, this condition is characterized by symptoms of swollen nose, thick skin, red and itchy eyes. Moreover, there is a stinging facial skin on application of lotions as well as minute red veins on the face. The diagnosis of Rosacea is mostly dependent on physical examination categorized as primary or secondary features. A patient is diagnosed with Rosacea if he or she possesses one of the primary features of persistent flushing, pimples, visible blood vessels. Secondary features are manifest in several subtypes including Papulopustular, Phymatous Erythematotelangiectatic and ocular rosacea (Gaeddert, 2003). Eczema is characterized by vesicles that are small and which contain fluid substance. These vessicles are pimple like and are evident as reddish and swollen. When dried, the fluids leave behind dry patches on the surface of the affected areas. This condition occurs in the facial region in a majority of patients. Eczema can be diagnosed through microscopy. Seborrheic Dermatitis Scalp psoriasis A close relative psoriasis is the seborrheic dermatitis that affects the scalp as well. This condition is inflammatory and it leads to the production of flaky, white to yellowish scabs on the skin. Symptoms of this condition include reddish swollen patches around the nose, armpits and mouth. Others include itching, widespread

Vacation at the Lake Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Vacation at the Lake - Essay Example If a person asks for a relationship of a notion of an ideal vacation, it would be everything that the lake has to provide. To take a walk along the sandy beach made up of wood cautiously arranged to safeguard the delicate shoreline, and have a feeling of the soaked and moist and soft between the toes is better than any treatment or massage for anyone’s soles. In addition, chipmunks and small squirrels play tag through the tall trees, moving from one tree to another while revealing their annoyance at one another with little squeaks and chirps. Also, the deer of the bushes come with their young ones and let them run all over until they are tired, and watch over them cautiously in case humans make any move that is deemed hostile by them. It is largely a family vacation, where numerous recognizable faces congregate in the summertime to get pleasure from these components, and many more inside the lake. The chilly waters of the lake also offer something that can be enjoyed by everyo ne. Whether it is for the young ones having fun at the shallow end with the small fish pinching at their small feet so long as they can stand it, or it is for the older people resting on the docks, making their feet just soaked adequately to have a pleasant feeling of the refreshing temperature. However, teenagers and people in their twenties prefer the more adventurous side of the lake which has turbulent waves and the promise of a chaotic event of any form. There is nothing which can match the excitement felt after a pleasant jet skiing, wakeboarding, or tubing experience in the fierce conditions. Normally, the lunch period is spent out on the relaxed side of the lake, swimming and taking in the sun until the legs and arms refuse to function adequately. People engage in activities that please them the most in the afternoon, some continue with the wild antics of the earlier period while others go sailing. Also, others remain in-shore and take part in a friendly match of water volle yball.  

Positive Effects Can Come From a Lower Birth Rate Essay Example for Free

Positive Effects Can Come From a Lower Birth Rate Essay In the not-so-distant past, there was a world wide effort to create zero population growth. The environmental uproar in the 1970s had scientists convinced that with 4 billion or so people on that planet, Earth had reached her carrying capacity. The basic premises was that there wasn’t enough room for all the people being born and that there definitely would not be enough room when we reached 2050 and a project population of 11 billion (Cohen, 1). Though the global warming predicts had not begun yet, there were huge concerns that the planet could not produce enough food for 11 billion people and that we would be consuming resources at such an alarming rate that world would die from too many people. Flash forward thirty years and now, industrialized countries across the world are expressing concern that they may have been too hasty in their condemnation of population growth. In fact, many are downright worried about their population declines or very slow population growth. They express concern that the economy will collapse as the burden of the elderly is too great for the younger generation to support and care for. Labor leaders claim there will not be enough people to do the work that needs done and others decry the trend as the true end of the British Empire and the dominance of Western Civilization as those are the countries with declining birth rates. The simple truth is that a low birth rate can be a positive choice for the industrialized world, if considered in the right light. This paper will look at some of the factors contributing to the declining population and the effects that are likely because of a population decline. To understand how this situation developed, it is interesting to review the last 900 years of human sexuality. In his essay â€Å"Two Successive Motivations for the Declining Birth Rate in the West†, Phillippe Aries argues that since the Middle Ages, the shift in societal norms had lead to the declining birth rate. The Church enticed people to a moral stance against pre-marital sex and as the economy evolved from largely agrarian to industrial and even retail based, the large family was no longer an economic necessity (646).   In an agrarian society, children were a source of cheap labor and a financial boon to their parents. The cost of feeding and clothing them was more than made up for by their assistance in earning the family sustenance. But as societies moved away from the farm, children became an expense. Indeed, Aries writes, the trend to significantly smaller families began in the Middle Ages and continued unabated until the Baby Boom after the end of World War II (647). The trend toward smaller families was also a sign of planning and forethought. It was assumed that a smaller family could even be considered a measure of self-control and â€Å"The fewer the children, the more care and attention that could be devoted to each† (Aries, 647) As society became more mobile and people were no longer trapper in the social class that they were born in, people chose smaller families with the idea that they could provide more opportunities for that smaller family and their children would have greater economic opportunity that they did (648). In addition, in the mid-1970s concerns about overpopulation ran rampant. By the mid 1990s, they were in crisis mode.   In Science magazine in 1995, JE Cohen wrote, â€Å"Earths capacity to support people is determined both by natural constraints and by human choices concerning economics, environment, culture (including values and politics), and demography. Human carrying capacity is therefore dynamic and uncertain.†Ã‚   (341). Though scientists argued about what that carrying capacity might be, they warned rabidly that if the exponential population growth were not stopped the capacity would be reached in our children’s lifetime if not our own. Further complicating things was an environmental movement   that claimed deforestation to turn the land into agricultural production as causing soil erosion and pollution faster than we could imagine. If the world growth continued unabated, the population would reach that carrying capacity much sooner because the Earth would be too polluted to sustain life. Even now, in An Inconvenient Truth Nobel Prize winner Al Gore points out that trees cut down to provide grazing land for cattle are contributing to global warming because the living trees would have cut carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere. Though Gore does not make the leap, it is there to behold. Too many people means more land devoted to food production which means fewer trees and faster global warming. With all that in place, it is no wonder then that people chose to have smaller families or no families at all. And that is where the new scientific debate and political nightmare began. The United Nations reports that 75 percent of the industrialized nations of the world have reached zero population growth including the United States and most of Western Europe. The population of Britain is still growing at a very slow rate, largely due to immigration, but in Germany and Japan the total population has begun to decline. This has thrown social scientists into a tizzy. They complain that there will not be enough workers to take all the jobs that are needed; they claim the workers will no longer be able to meet the tax demands of their nations; and they claim that a declining number of young people will mean that there is no one around to care for the Baby Boomers as they get older.   Not surprisingly, many of these doom and gloom predictions are written by Baby Boomers. Instead, it might be nice to focus on the positive benefits of population control. A smaller population will mean simple things, like less congestion on the highways and fewer people in the one open checkout line at the grocery store. But those are the incidental effects of a lower population growth. The key benefits of a smaller population are: better access to education, less pollution and therefore less global warming, and more job opportunities. For a decade or so, Americans have been decrying overcrowding in the school systems as a factor in school performance.   In 2003, CNN reported that overcrowding was causing a boom in the temporary classroom business and states across the nation were taking steps to reduce overcrowding (CNN, 1).   With a declining birth rate in the industrialized nations, fewer children will need to be educated and the student to teacher ratio will decrease. That will lead to more individualized attention for each student and better learning opportunities. In addition, as those children get older, instead of being able to raise prices and keep students from going to college, colleges and universities will be forced to compete for students. The reality is that smaller class size throughout the educational process will mean that all students are getting a better education, not just the ones who can afford private school or the ones lucky enough to be talented an attract a teacher’s interest. Furthermore, as the population seeking a college degree decreases second-class universities with questionable accreditation will be driven out of business and the top academic talent will mass in good schools providing good educations. As simple as it sounds, another advantage of a smaller population will be less pollution. Gore’s movie and other studies of global warming indicate that one of the significant contributors to greenhouse gases are personal vehicles. If there are fewer people, there will by simple logic be fewer cars and fewer cars mean that fewer greenhouse gases are emitted. And, fewer people means less need for food, so some farmland could be returned to forest or converted from vast corporate farms to sustainable small farms which produce healthier food and fewer pollutants. The rain forest of the Amazon River Basin could be left as rain forest with no need for more cattle to feed the world’s desire for beef consumption and the demand for electricity would fall as there were fewer people using it. As the demand for electricity falls, older, fossil fuel burning electric plants could be shut down or replaced with newer, cleaner burning generation facilities. The ultimate proof of the effect that the population has on the environment can be observed today in India. â€Å"Environmental pollution is one of the serious problems faced by the people in the country. Rapid population growth, industrialization and urbanization in country are adversely affecting the environment. (Nagdeve, 2).   India has polluted its sacred rivers and begun poisoning itself, creating a severe lack of potable water because of its overpopulation.   Many of the pollution problems come quite simply from human excrement. There are insufficient sewage facilities and the sewage contaminants the ground water, leading to environmental collapse. With 1.1 billion people, India is the second most populous nation in the world and is being destroyed by its high birth rate (Nagdeve, 33). In China, the world’s largest population has become the primary source of greenhouse gases and is polluting the world at an alarming rate. Though they have instituted some population control measures, the population is so large now that until some of it dies off or moves to other areas, overcrowding and pollution, as well as poor access to resources will continue to be their plight. By far the most concerning aspect of the low-birth rate to most the industrialization nations is the impact it is likely to have on the economy. Naysayers claim the smaller populace will be unable to meet the needs of the elderly population, will be unable to meet the tax burden placed on them by their parents and grandparents and will not be able to meet the employment needs of the country.   The arguments are complicated and may have a grain of truth in them, but are not the forgone conclusion that they are assumed to be. First, there is the issue of meeting the needs of the elderly populace. This is in many ways a self-serving argument of the Baby Boom generation the reality is that in the United States, a third of the workforce is now over the age of 55. â€Å"Because of an aging population and declining growth of the labor force, human resource policies are changing. Companies are offering incentives to keep older workers working past retirement age. Older workers can sometimes replace the lack of younger employees. Opportunities like flextime, part-time, temp work, job sharing, and extended vacations are becoming more common for employees of all ages. Businesses are learning that people of all shapes, sizes, ages, colors, and backgrounds can be good workers† (Johnson, 1) Many of the Baby Boomers are living to ripe old ages and will need long term care, but it also means they are staying in the workforce longer.   And, they are better able to care for themselves than any previous generation of retirees. In addition, society has seen this short-term boom in the elderly population coming and ahs planned for it. Retirement communities and apartment complexes make care for the elderly much easier than in previous generations. Since they are all located in one area instead of being spread out in various private homes, the number of people needed to care for the elderly is greatly reduced. Second, there is the question of the tax burden, again a selfish notion of the elderly that the younger generation should have to support their Social Security needs even though it is an unrealistic expectation.   Unfortunately, instead of working as Franklin Roosevelt had planned and being a supplement to a personal retirement plan, Social Security has become the only retirement plan for many Americans and the government has continued to bail out failed retirement plan after failed retirement plan, usually due to poor fiscal planning or malfeasance on the part of those overseeing the plan. The simple reality is that the elderly cannot continue to rely on the government to meet all their needs and it is likely that in choosing to have fewer children they chose not to have the financial support of a younger generation. Aries argued that they shouldn’t need the financial support family or the government because of their decision not to have a large family.   He argued that with the money people saved by not having a family, they should be able to pay for help when they reach retirement age (Aries, 629). While this inability to deal with the tax burden is a valid concern, it can also be viewed as a great opportunity. Many people complain that the current government system is messed up and the tax plan unfair, but no one seems to be able to do anything about it.   Though a collapse of the economic structure is an extreme way to bring about change, it is a valid way and one that may have to be considered in the near future. Finally, the argument against low-birth rates is that the there will be insufficient people to work the jobs that need doing. This is perhaps the weakest argument of all. Do we really need a Starbucks on every corner and a McDonald’s two doors down?   The reality is that the economic market will correct itself.   Fewer people available to do the jobs will mean that high school and college students are able to find part-time work again and it will mean that the unemployment rate will drop. Regardless of the opportunity, there will always be some degree of unemployment either voluntary or temporary, but with greater opportunities available, more people will have better economic opportunities. Yes, some low-paying jobs may go unfilled. If that happens, the need will equate to the job growth. Like the tax issue, it will probably mean a restructuring of societal values. If more people are need in the medical field to care for the elderly and society places a higher value on that then serving coffee or flipping burgers, society will adjust to the loss of mass market coffee and fast food. After all, less than fifty years ago, fast food was barely thought of. Fast food and poor paying retail jobs were not always a vital part of the American economy and if there is a labor shortage, they might be gone again. If there is a shortage of labor, society will adjust and fill the positions that it most needs. Some economists have argued that with a smaller labor force, economies could collapse as the total productivity level of a nation is decreased, but historical analysis shows us that this too may be a made up fear and an irrational prediction. In an essay regarding the impact low birth rates will have on the economy, William H. Reid, writing for the Journal on Extension said that history shows that our most productive times in history were when the population was smaller. For example, he said, right after the Black Plague productivity in Europe skyrocketed (Reid, 1). The idea behind the increase was that people had something to work for and out of necessity worked hard to get it. He further argued that while overall productivity might be down, wages will be up as employers compete for qualified staff. That will mean that the economy will be booming. The simple truth is that zero population growth was a good idea twenty years ago and that has not changed.   The great majority of opposition to it in Europe and North America is in fact a form of xenophobia, a fear that if other parts of the world outbreed the locals, the local way of life will be destroyed. If analysts were honest and admitted to this fear, there might be more action taken on it. By hiding their fears in other â€Å"concerns†, they miss a chance for honest discourse on the effect that a huge Indian and Chinese population will have on the world. They miss the opportunity to take real action to address the overpopulation concerns of India.   Allowing more people to emigrate from overcrowded areas to less crowded areas will cut down on the demands on the resources of individual nations and improve the quality of life around the globe. However, so many areas are insular and afraid to share their land or way of life with anyone of a different culture. If the industrialized countries were at least willing to admit that, there arguments might have more standing in the world’s eyes. The reasons why the birth rate in the industrialized world is dropping are numerous and debatable.   Aries suggested that another reason why the birth rate is declining is that people no longer see a way to make the world a better place for their descendants. Whether it is a fear of nuclear annihilation or global warming, many people are concerned that the world will not be a great place for the next generation and have decided against having children (469). Others have decided to keep the money for their own happiness instead of spending it on a child and some simply wait longer than they meant to and find they unable to have children. Whatever the reasons for the declining birth rate, it is a fact of life in Europe and North America. Those nations can simply decide how to live with the consequences or, as they have in parts of Europe, take extreme action to reverse the course. In Japan and Germany where the population is already beginning to decline, the smaller population had coincided with an economic growth period. Whether this is simply coincidental is hard to tell at this point, but history seems to tell us that the chances are good that a deckling birth rate does not spell doom and gloom and the end of the world. Instead, it will like lead to a period of greater education for the average person, a cleaner environment and a booming economy. It may also lead to revolutionary thinking as the countries that have always had plenty of people to do their menial tasks have to consider other alternatives, such as an open border with Mexico so that there are more workers, or allowing a mass immigration from India, to relieve overcrowding there. Whatever the solution, it will require scientific and political minds meeting together and honestly discussing the wants and fears of Europe and North America and their desire to change them. In the end, the best consequence of a declining birth rate might be a further globalization of the world. Areas in the Far East and the Indian subcontinent with population problems will need to find more space and Europe and North America will have to find more workers. If the struggle be worked through and the prejudices and fears overcome, then the best thing that could come from a lower birth rate would be an international melting pot with everyone working together for a better planet, better economy and a better life. WORKS CITED Aries, Phillippe.†Two Successive Motivations for the Declining Birth Rate in the West† Population and Development Review Vol. 6, No. 4 (Dec., 1980), pp. 645-650   Stable URL: http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0098921%28198012%296%3A4%3C645%3ATSMFTD%3E2.0.CO%3B2-5 November 20, 2007. Cohen, JE â€Å"Population growth and earth’s human carrying capacity† Science Vol.269, Issue 5222, Summer, 1995, p. 341-46. â€Å"Ending overcrowding in California Schools†Ã‚   Policylink http://www.policylink.org/Research/SchoolOvercrowding/ November 20, 2007. Johnson, Kelly. â€Å"The Effects of a Declining Birth Rate on the Labor Force† http://cber.cba.ua.edu/rbriefs/ab_jan98.html November 20, 2007. Martin, Steve P. â€Å"Diverging Fertility among U.S. Women Who Delay Childbearing Past Age 30† Demography , Vol. 37, No. 4 (Nov., 2000), pp. 523-533 Stable URL:http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0070370%28200011%2937%3A4%3C523%3ADFAUWW%3E2.0.CO%3B2-X November 20,2007. Nagdeve,   Dewaram. â€Å"Environment and Health in India†Ã‚   presented to Asian Context at Bangkok, Thailand, June 10, 2002. http://www.iussp.org/Bangkok2002/S09Nagdeve.pdf November 20, 2007. â€Å"Overcrowding Fuel Boom† CNN.com http://www.cnn.com/2003/EDUCATION/06/02/classsize.portables.ap/index.html November 20, 2007. Reid, Walter H. â€Å"Will Declining Birt Rates creates a Crisis?† Journal of Extension (Summer 1988), Vol. 26, No. 2 http://www.joe.org/joe/1988summer/rb3.html, November 20, 2007.

The Complex Nature Of Human Resource Planning Commerce Essay

The Complex Nature Of Human Resource Planning Commerce Essay This report is about the complex nature of human resource planning. Human resource planning is the process whereby a business determines the amount of staff support that they will need in order to fulfil business needs and customer demands. It is the base upon which all the other human resource activities rest. It simply involves forecasting what staff is needed and making sure that the steps are taken to meet those needs. Human resource planning can also be described as the on-going process of systematic planning to achieve optimum use of an organisations most valuable asset which would be its human resources. It is the way in which managers ensure that they have the right number and kinds of capable people in the right places at the right times. Through human resource planning, organisations avoid sudden people shortages and surpluses. It is concerned with identifying the organisations demand for human resources and demand for human resource and devising means to ensure that a sufficient supply of labour is available to meet that demand. Human resource planning can be defined as the way by which you determine the manpower requirements and the way of meeting those requirements in order to carry out an integrated plan at the organisation. According to Quinn Mills (1983) human resource planning is a decision making process combining three vital actions: Identifying and acquiring the right number of people with the proper skills Motivating the staff in order to achieve high performance within the organisation Creating interactive links between business objectives and planning activities The most popular way of describing human resource planning is having the Right person at the Right place at the Right time. Aims of human resource planning The main aim of human resource planning is to make sure that the organisation has the right number of staff with the right skills needed in order to meet forecast requirements. According to Reilly there are a couple of different reasons why some businesses choose to take part in some form of human resource planning. Reilly identifies three main reasons as to why businesses engage in human resource planning: Planning for substantive reasons- The reason for this type of planning is to have a practical effect by enhancing the use of resources in the organisation or making them more flexible. It also helps the business to identify potential problems and minimises the chances of making a bad decision. Planning due to the benefits it gives the organisation-The reason for this type of planning is due to business understanding the present human resources in order to confront the future human resources. This type of planning gives the business a better understanding of how many employees they have at present and how many they need to take on or let go to deal with the future. For example-The human resource planning department will analyse how many employees they have at present and they will try and forecast how many employees they will need to take on in the future. If the business is busier around the Christmas period then the human resource planning department will look at taking on more staff in order to deal with increased demands. Planning for organisational reasons- The reason for this type of planning is that it communicates the businesses plans and helps the employees to support them and adhere to them. This type of planning is all about relating the business plans to the human resource planning department and integrating the two more efficiently. For example-If the human resource department has plans to take on 10 new employees in 2013 due to a high workload for existing employees, it lets the existing employees know that the high workload is temporary and encourages the employees to support the business and respect the decisions that are made. The Human Resource Planning Model The human resource planning model is a method that the human resource department in a business can use to ensure that they have enough employees and the right ones to carry out the various functions of the business. This human resource planning model consists of three key parts, including predicting the amount of employees that your company needs, checking if the supply of potential employees meets your demand and finally learning how to balance the supply and demand of employees. The three steps are as follows: Forecasting staffing needs Evaluating Supply Balancing Supply and Demand Forecasting Staffing Needs: There are a couple of different ways to forecast in order to predict how many employees you need to run your business and which roles these employees need to fill. There are four main factors to consider when forecasting staffing needs: The situation of the economy- The way in which the economy is performing is a critical factor when youre looking at human resource planning. You need to be able to distinguish whether or not your company needs to recruit more staff or whether your company is going to downsize. In these economic conditions a lot of companies are looking at their human resource planning and making the crucial decisions. For example: If the economy is in recession and business is quiet, a company is less likely to be planning on taking on new staff. On the other hand, if the economy is booming and business is busy a company will be more likely to be recruiting more staff. On the 1st of November 2012, McDonalds announced that they will be taking on over 700 new employees in the next 2years in Ireland. McDonalds human resource planning department are starting the recruitment process in January 2013. On the 5th of October 2012, Cork Airport announced that they will be cutting over 32 jobs. The human resource department of Cork airport explained that the main reason for the plans to cut jobs was simply due to the decline in the economy. The Internal finance of the business- The internal finance of a business will depend on whether or not youre going to invest in new staff. It all depends on how much money you have as a business. The human resource department of a business is usually given a yearly budget. They then look at the staff levels and plan on whether or not to invest in more staff. They also look at things at critical factors affecting staff levels such as how many employees are retiring in the coming year, is there anybody out on maternity leave etc. Internal finance is a main factor in forecasting staffing needs. For example: If the human resource department plans to take on 15 new employees in 2012, there has to be money in the business for this to be a viable. The demand for your product or service- Obviously the demand for when it comes to forecasting your staffing needs and requirements, the demand for your product or service is crucial. If your product or service is in high demand then you will be looking at taking on more staff. However if the demand for your product or service is in low demand then you as a business may need to look at cutting your employees hours or letting some employees go. The demand for your product or service may be in high demand at certain times of the year and you may need to take on extra staff in order to meet demands. For Example: Smyths Toys always take on extra staff around the Christmas period as this is their busiest time of the year. When the human resource planning department at Smyths Toys forecasts their staffing needs, they look at the demand for service. Therefore when they are in their busiest time of the year, they automatically forecast that they will need additional staff in order to deal with the high demand. The Growth expectations of your business- The growth expectations of your business are another factor to consider when forecasting staff. If your business is growing rapidly then you may need to take on more staff. Forecasting the amount of staff you will need in the future will all depend on how well your business is growing. For example: The human resource planning department of McDonalds will look at their growth expectations for the next 6months, 12months, 18months etc. They will then determine how many employees they will need in order to meet the growth rate of their business. By 2015 they hope to open 12 new stores across Ireland. The human resource planning department have already forecasted that they plan to take on 700 new employees. Therefore the growth expectations of the business are a key component on forecasting the staffing needs. Evaluating Supply: This consists of analysing internally and externally. This step is all about checking the amount of staff you have currently in your organisation and checking the amount of potential staff outside of the business. The human resource planning department evaluate the internal staff in the first step when they are forecasting staffing requirements for the future. In order to evaluate the external staff the human resource planning department will look at the demographics of the staff that is available to them. This can include factors such as education and the unemployment rate of the country. When the human resource planning department are evaluating supply there are a couple of key areas they look at including: The existing number of staff employed(broken down by occupation, skill and potential) Potential losses the business may incur due to staff leaving(employee turnover) Potential vacancies through internal promotion The effect of changing work condition(recession may lead to absenteeism) The amount of supply within the business The amount of supply from outside of the business in the national and local labour markets By the business evaultaing all of these areas it will help them determine whether they have access to the number and types of employees that they need in order to fulfil their staffing forecasts. For example: The human resource planning department at BMW in Germany evaluated the supply of employees internally and they have realised that over 50% of their employees would be over the age of 50 by 2020.The human resource planning department evaluated externally in order to find out how much potential employees would be available to them if they decided to take on new employees. By evaluating externally they realised that there was a shortage of qualified engineers in Germany. When evaluating externally they looked at education as a factor, they found that every year the number of engineering graduates are declining. This proves the importance of evaluating supply externally. The human resource planning department of BMW have put plans in place in order to increase the amount of students doing engineering courses. The human resource planning department have offered 18month internships for qualified engineering graduates. This is a good way on increasing the supply of employees ex ternally. Balancing Supply and Demand: Balancing supply and demand is the third step in the human resource planning process. This step is concerned with how the business is going to balance the demand of employees they need with the supply of employees available. The human resource planning department look at the amount of employees that they need and the look at the amount of employees that are available. By the human resource planning department doing this, it helps them to make sure that they avoid an employee shortage and surplus within the business. If the human resource planning department realise that there is a shortage of employees in the business, they must determine what type of recruiting efforts that they will participate in to attract the employees they need in order to fill the needs within the business. In order for the human resource planning department to balance the supply and demand they have to determine the full-time and part-time needs. The human resource planning department will look at the busines ses supply of full-time workers and the demand for full-time work out in the workforce. They look at the businesses needs for part-time workers and look and see if there are part-time workers available in labour markets. If the human resource planning department realise that the business have a surplus amount of employees they may consider employee layoffs, retirements and situations where some employees may need to be demoted. This step in the human resource planning process is all about determining the amount of employees that they need and how many employees are out their willing to work for them. The crucial part of this step is making sure that they balance. For Example: The human resource planning department of Dunnes Stores main aim in the final step of the human resource planning process is to balance the supply and demand of the employees available to the business. The human resource planning department at Dunnes Stores looks at how many employees they need and how many employees are in the workforce available to do the work with the necessary skills. The human resource planning department of Dunnes Stores must make sure that they dont end up with a shortage of employees or a surplus of employees. They need to get the balance just right in order to complete the human resource planning process correctly. Importance of Human Resource Planning Human resource planning is one of the most important resources in management and needs to be used efficiently. Success, stability and growth of a business depend on its ability in acquiring, utilising and developing the human resources for the benefit of a business. In recent years, Human resource planning has become increasingly important due to the high level of competition that todays businesses face. Without effective human resource planning, a company may face the danger of being unable to meet targets because employees with the necessary skills are unavailable. In my own opinion, I think that human resource planning is extremely important for every type of business. The main reason I think human resource planning is important is because by a business planning their human resources they can analyse their staffing needs for the future and identify any vacancies which may arise, they can save money through limited recruitment and selection and it helps motivate employees. Future staffing needs-The business is able to find out how much staff they will need in the future. It helps the business to identify the number of jobs which will become vacant in the near future. The human resource planning process is conducted for the entire business; therefore staffing requirements for every department can be identified. This allows the human resource department to identify any vacancies. For example: The human resource planning department of Dunnes Stores looks at the entire organisations staffing needs and identifies any vacancies that may arise in the future. Therefore the human resource department can identify if anyone is retiring or going on maternity leave. If there is somebody going on maternity leave in the finance department, the human resource planning department can plan to take on a temporary replacement. On the other hand if there is an employee in the marketing department retiring, then they will look at the marketing department and figure out if they need to take on a permanent replacement. Human resource planning is important as it highlights any vacancies in an organisation and prevents any sudden staffing shortages or surpluses. Cost savings-The recruitment and selection process can be very costly. Many businesses spend a large amount of money on this. Therefore by using the human resource planning process a company will save money as they arent wasting money taking on staff that is not necessary. Recruitment and selection will only be carried out if it is extremely necessary. The human resource planning process helps to identify whether recruitment and selection are necessary or not. For example: By Dunnes Stores planning their human resources effectively and efficiently they will save money. They will know exactly how many staff that they have at present. They will be able to determine if they under staffed or over staffed and whether they need to spend money on the recruitment and selection process. Human resource planning is important to Dunes Stores as saves them money by only highlighting when it is absolutely necessary to recruit new staff. Therefore they arent spending money on taking on new staff if they dont need them. Motivation-Human resource planning makes performance appraisal more meaningful. Employees receive feedback in the performance appraisal and they are informed of their chances of future progression in the company. As a result of this, the employees will be more motivated to work harder and try harder to impress. This shows the importance of human resource planning. For example: By Dunnes Stores engaging in human resource planning they will know exactly what promotions are available. So if the Sales Manager is going on maternity leave, then when the assistant sales manager is having the performance appraisal, she may be told if you improve on certain skill, you may be in line for promotion and may be considered when the sales manager goes on maternity leave. This will motivate the assistant sales manager to improve on certain skills and work harder in order to prove that she would be capable for the sales manager position. Human resource planning shows its importance in the performance appraisal as the business knows exactly when there is promotions available and this is turn motivates employees to work harder and prove that they are worthy of a promotion. According to Farnham human resource planning is extremely important as it encourages employers to establish clear and explicit links between their business plans and the human resource plans in order to integrate them more effectively and efficiently. He feels that by a business engaging in human resource planning it can benefit them as the business will have more control over staffing costs and on the number of staff employed. It ensures that a business is not over-staffed or under-staffed. He also feels that through human resource planning, employers can make more informed decisions about the skills and attitude mix in the business. Farnham states that human resource planning also provides a profile of the current staff in the business in regards to age, sex, gender, disability etc. By having this information readily available to them, a business is in a better position to make informed decisions and make sure that they are an equal opportunity organisation. Advantages of Human Resource Planning Meeting Staffing Requirements One of the advantages of human resource planning is that it improves the utilisation of human resources by helping the human resource planning managers to forecast the staffing needs in terms of both numbers as well as the types of skills that the business requires. By the human resource planning managers identifying the businesses short-term and long-term goals it allows them to predict their human resource requirements. In order for the human resource planning managers predict the staffing requirements successfully, they need to establish what skills, abilities and knowledge is required in order to meet the businesses goals. By human resource planning being carried out in a business, it helps the human resources planning managers to identify any potential replacements that they might need in order to fulfil the staffing requirements. Every year many employees either retire or leave companies that they are employed in. By carrying out human resource planning it helps the human resou rce department find replacements for these employees. These replacements may be either from inside the business or outside of the business. Therefore by carrying out human resource planning in a business it gives the advantage of meeting staffing needs. This is one of the main advantages of carrying out human resource planning in a business. Employee Development One of the main advantages of human resource planning is that it improves employee development. The human resource planning department identify employees within the business that could potentially move into a management position within the company. The human resource planning department can then implement certain actions that will help the potential employees develop their management skills. Human resource planning encourages the business to conduct performance appraisals with their employees. By conducting performance appraisals on their employees, it helps the human resource planning department to see what particular skills an employee is lacking and what type of training opportunities the employee should receive. Therefore human resource planning encourages and improves employee development. Continuous Evaluation By human resource planning managers taking part in the human resource planning process, it helps them to measure and access outcomes that make it possible to monitor the progress of the business and the employees. The human resource planning department make the human resource plan and they will usually include various millstones in order to gauge success. The future may be different than expected so the human resource planning department must be flexible enough for the business to manage the change. By a business taking part in human resource planning, it benefits them as the know exactly what is happening within the company at present, how many employees they have at present, how well they are doing currently and how the employees at performing at present. By the human resource planning department carrying out continuous evaluation they are able to meet new technological changes. Human resource planning helps to be effective in the use of technological progress. In order for the hum an resource planning department to meet the challenge of new technology, they make sure that existing employees are retrained and when they are recruiting new employees, they have the up-to-date technological knowledge. Proactive Human resource planning takes a proactive approach in order to meet the companys needs which are obviously an advantage for the company. By the human resource planning department taking a proactive approach it enables them to anticipate future needs, evaluate the companys current workforce and helps them determine what actions that they should prepare to take for the future. The advantage of having a proactive approach in human resource planning is that the businesses consider all aspects and the potential implications of different actions before acting. Businesses without human resource planning react to the employees needs without allowing themselves enough time to think and consider all actions. Businesses with human resource planning avoid making rushed and rash decisions. Therefore an advantage of human resource planning would be proactive businesses. Environmental Factors Through effective human resource planning, the human resource planning department can help the business to respond to environmental factors such as legislation, changing demographics, globalisation and technology. Through environmental scanning, the human resource planning department can anticipate different changes that will affect the businesses workforce and the businesses plan. An advantage of human resource planning is being able to anticipate the different environmental factors which will affect the business and its employees. The human resource planning department can predict and plan in anticipation for any changes in the environmental factors that may affect their business or their staffing requirements. The human resource planning department can prepare in advance for factors such as an aging population and an older workforce. By the human resource planning department, thinking ahead and taking the environmental factors into account, they help the business to avoid possible skill shortages in the future. By the human resource planning department failing to prepare for the environmental factors it can have a negative impact on the business. Disadvantages of Human Resource Planning Lack of Support During the last 25years, human resource planning has become a strategic partner in most business decisions. Before this it was known as personnel administration, a department responsible for processing payroll, handing out job application forms and enrolling employees in the business. One disadvantage of human resource planning is that without the support of management and the employees; it will not work or be effective. In order for human resource planning to be effective, the managers and the employees must support the human resource plans one hundred per cent. The management dont always see human resource planning as an essential element in the businesses long term and strategic goals. The employees of a business dont always support human resource planning due to the fact that they dont fully understand what their role is in the business. Culture Shift One major disadvantage of human resource planning relates to the current cultural thinking of the employees in a business. Many employees work in the same style they were originally trained in. These types of old-school employees have learned to perform their work efficiently and they take great pride in their ability to perform well in the business. When a business decides to take a new approach by implementing human resource planning into the business, these types of employees feel threatened. The employees current skills may not be able to be transferred to the businesses new way of doing things; therefore some of the employees will need to learn the new system. Larger Initial Investment A business must invest time and money into their human resource planning to become fully functional this is a disadvantage for businesses that dont have excess cash to invest into their human resource department. A business would also have to invest money into training their employees into understanding human resource planning. The employees would need to be thought how to research alternative approaches to planning, how to evaluate which approach fits the business the best and finally to implement that chosen process. The human resource planning manager would need to be able to determine how the new process fits in with their current employees and they would then have to assign new responsibilities to each employee. Once the employees are assigned their new responsibility, they will need additional training in order to help get them use to it. They will each need to learn what their new role in the business is each employee will need. This would be one disadvantage to human resource planning; the initial capital invested. The Strategic Human Resource Planning Process The strategic human resource planning process consists of four steps: Assessing the current human resource capacity Forecasting human resource requirements Gap analysis Developing human resource strategies to support business strategies Assessing the current human resource capacity Based on the businesses strategic plan, the first step in the strategic planning process is to analyse the current human resource capacity of the business. The knowledge, skills and abilities of the current staff in the business need to be identified. A way in which this can be done is by developing a skills inventory for each employee in the business. The skills inventory should go beyond the skills needed for the particular position. The business should list all the skills each employee has demonstrated. The education levels or additional training and development courses that they have participated in should also be included. Forecasting Human Resource Requirements The second step is to forecast human resource needs for the future, based on the strategic goals of the business. Realistic forecasting of human resources involves predicting both demand and supply. In order for the business to forecast the human resource requirements, they need to be able to answer the following questions: How many employees is required in order to achieve the strategic goals of the business? What jobs will need to be filled? What skill sets will people need? When forecasting demands for human resources, the business must also identify the challenges that they will face in meeting their staffing needs based on the external environment. In order for the business to determine external impacts, they should consider the following factors: How does the current economy affect the businesses ability to attract new employees? What changes are occurring in the Irish labour market? Gap Analysis This step is concerned about determining the gap between where the business wants to be in the future and where the business is currently. The gap analysis involves identifying the number of staff and the skills and abilities required in the future in comparison to the current situation the company are in. The business should ask themselves the following questions: What new jobs will the business need? What new skills will the business require? Do the businesses current employees have the right skills? Does the business have enough mangers? Developing Human resource strategies to support business strategies There are five ways in which a business can meet their needs in the future: Restructuring-This involves reducing staff by termination, reorganising work units to be more efficient Training and development-This involves providing staff with training to take on new roles, providing current staff with development opportunities to prepare them for future jobs in the business. Recruitment-This involves recruiting new staff with the skill and abilities that the business will need in the future. Outsourcing-This involves using external individuals or businesses to complete some tasks Collaboration-This involves allowing employees to visit other businesses to gain skills and insight. It involves working together with other businesses to prepare future leaders by sharing in the development of promising employees. Case Study BMWs Human Resource Planning Practices In 2007, Human resource planning managers at the BMW manufacturing plant in Germany came up with the Today for Tomorrow project. Human resource managers realised that with Germanys ageing population, by 2020 roughly half of BMWs 18000 workers in Germany will be over the age of 50. By 2020, more than a fifth of the country will be over 65.Faced with a probable decline in productivity, human resource managers reacted in an unusual and innovative way. For BMW, it is a matter of necessity, like many industries in Western countries; the company faces the challenge of trying to remain globally competitive with an experienced but ageing workforce. The human resource planning manager believed that their older workers have more patience and skills than the younger workers. The human resource planning manager in Germany believes that they are grappling with an ageing workforce. With the country also facing a shortage of qualified engineers, the human resource planning department have decided that its best to keep good workers on the job as long as possible and adapting the manufacturing factories to their needs. The human resource planning departmen